Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Indiana Hoosiers conclude a three-game home stand with the Battle for the Old Brass Spittoon as they host the Michigan State Spartans in a Big Ten East match-up. The last time in to Bloomington was a 24-21 OT loss for the Spartans, however Michigan State has dominated the Hoosiers since the turn of the century going 12-3. It’ll be the 65th time these two programs have met on the gridiron, with MSU holding a 46-16-2 advantage over IU. Michigan State will be coming off of their open week, which could mean they'll be rested or rusty.

Week Four: Michigan State Spartans

Date & Time: Saturday September 22, 2018, TBD

Venue: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN

TV: TBA

Spartans at a Glance

Head Coach: Mark Dantonio

Entering his 15th year overall and 12th at MSU

Overall Record: 118-62

At MSU: 100-45

Cavaliers Last Season: 10-3 (7-2) Beat Washington State 42-17 in the Holiday Bowl

Spartan Returning Leaders

Passing: Brian Lewerke (59.0 pct. 2,793 yards 20 TDs 7 INTs)

Rushing: L.J. Scott (201 att. 898 yards 4.5 YPC 9 Total TDs)

Receiving: Felton Davis III (55 rec. 776 yards 14.1 YPR 9 TD)

Tackles: LB Joe Bachie (100 tackles 8.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 FF, 5 Passes Defensed)

Pre-Season Predictions

Athlon’s: 4th in Big Ten East

Lindy’s: 2nd in Big Ten East

Street & Smith’s: 4th in Big Ten East

Phil Steele: T-3rd in Big Ten East

Impact Newcomers for the Spartans

1. Trenton Gillison, TE- The Spartans do not have many spots where a freshman or a transfer can make an immediate impact since they return 20 starters on both sides of the ball and special teams. However, tight end is a position where a young player can sneak into the mix.

Trenton Gillison, a four-star signee out of Ohio, could be that player at tight end. He will start the season behind returning starter Matt Sokal, Noah Davis and Matt Dotson. Gillison does have the potential to be the next great tight end at MSU as he can be a factor in both the pass and run game. Gillison is listed at six-foot-four and 232 pounds and has terrific ability catching the ball.

2. Kalon Gervin, CB- Gervin is another four-star signee who could see significant playing time in 2018. The Spartans are upperclassmen heavy in the secondary and return all four starters, but teams need quality depth to make a run at the Big Ten crown. Gervin was an early enrollee and should have his sea legs under him when fall camp rolls around. With 4.4 speed Gervin can be a deference maker on special teams as well, especially with the new redshirt rule.

3. Elijah Collins, RB- The Spartans seem set at running back with L.J. Scott returning as the starter and sophomore Conner Heyward backing him up, but if you look beneath the surface you’ll see a unit with a ton of questions and opportunity. Gerald Holmes and Madre London are now gone (combined 162 carries 591 yards 4 TDs). Collins, a three-star back out of Detroit, will need to add weight over the summer, but the opportunity is there especially if Scott continues fumbling the ball.

Offensive Preview

L.J. Scott Image: Sarah Miller Hoosier Huddle — L.J. Scott *Image: Sarah Miller Hoosier Huddle*

Mark Dantonio and the Spartans have found their quarterback in Brian Lewerke and he was a major reason why Michigan State went from a three-win team in 2016 to a 10-win squad in 2017. However, if you look at the numbers the offense wasn’t as good as people perceived them to be. Let’s compare the Spartans national rankings in 2016 to 2017.

In that un-Spartan-like 2016 season they averaged 24.1 points per game (104th nationally), 172.7 rushing ypg (65th), 222.3 Passing ypg (74th) and finished ranked 75th nationally in total offense at 395 yards per game. Last season, the Spartans averaged 24.5 ppg (96th), 167.8 rushing ypg (62nd), 215.2 passing ypg (76th) and finished 91st in total offense at 383.1 ypg. Not much of a difference, but let’s see what will make the 2018 MSU offense tick.

Quarterback Brian Lewerke makes this offense go and made an offense with average to below average line play look decent. The junior signal caller can make plays with both his legs and his arm, which makes him extremely dangerous. Lewerke isn’t without his flaws though. He only completed 59 percent of his passes and is prone to wildly inconsistent games, he had three games of 340 passing yards or more and six games of under 200 yards through the air. He finished 2017 throwing for 2,793 yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions. On the ground, Lewerke finished with 559 yards and five touchdowns.

The good news for Lewerke is that he’ll have one of the better groups of receivers in the Big Ten to throw to. Five of the Spartans top six pass catchers from 2017 are back in 2018, including NFL prospect Felton Davis III who led the Spartans with 55 catches for 776 yards and nine touchdowns in 2017. He is a match-up nightmare for secondaries at six-foot-four.

Alongside Davis is Darrell Stewart Jr. a six-foot-two junior who can break tackles for extra yards at any moment and can impact a game in multiple ways. Stewart made 50 catches for 501 yards and two scores, rushed the ball 20 times for 140 yards while also returning kicks (6 ret. 152 yards) and punts (6 ret. 20 yards). He is a guy Mark Dantonio wants to get the ball to in any way possible.

Sophomore Cody White rounds out the starting lineup after a big freshman season where he went for 490 yards and four touchdowns on 35 receptions. Behind these three are Cam Chambers, Laress Nelson and Brandon Sowards.

Tight ends Matt Sokal, Matt Dotson and Noah Davis return in 2018, but only Sokal accounted for more than three receptions (21 rec. 222 yards). However, incoming four-star freshman Trenton Gillison can give Dotson and Davis a run for their money.

When fans think of Michigan State, they usually think of a great defense and a power run game. The 2018 version of the Spartans return their big running back in L.J. Scott, but behind him and along the offensive lines are major question marks. Scott is in his final go-a-round in East Lansing and while he has been a work horse, he has never cracked the 1,000-yard mark in a season. Last year, Scott finished with 898 yards on the ground with eight touchdowns. Those are numbers that nobody should be ashamed about, however Scott accumulated those stats on 201 attempts, leaving him with just a 4.5 yard per carry average.

Behind Scott are where things start to get a little fuzzy. Sophomore Connor Heyward is back after limited playing time as a freshman and Michigan State brings in Elijah Collins, a three-star freshman. The group isn’t very deep on paper, but as the season moves forward, MSU will see a few more bodies emerge in the running backs room.

The engine that will make any offense successful is the offensive line and the Spartans have too many questions to really feel comfortable upfront. Not finishing in the top-60 in rushing the last two seasons highlight where they are lacking.

The Spartans return three-out-of-five starters along the line but have to replace center Brian Allen. Allen’s brother Matt will try and live up to his last name at center and will be backed up by freshman Blake Bueter. Versitile sophomore Jordan Reid can play all three positions along the line and is slated to start at the right tackle position. Junior Cole Chewins will bookend the other side at left tackle, he did struggle against the better defenses last season. Inside David Beedle and Kevin Jarvis should start at the guard positions. Depth could be an issue as the only backup listed as an upperclassman is Tyler Higby. Freshman Mustafa Khaleefah and sophomores AJ Arcuri and Luke Campbell figure to be in the mix for playing time.

If the Spartans can get consistent play out of their offensive line and running game, they can be a factor in who wins the East, if not, they can still be a really good team just without the offense needed to take the crown.

Defensive Preview

The defensive side of the ball is where Michigan State makes its money and the 2018 Spartans should field one of the nastiest defenses in the country once again. They return nine starters including at least five all-Big Ten caliber players.

The back seven for the Spartans will be as good as any in the Big Ten as they return linebackers Joe Bachie (100 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 3 INTs) and Andrew McDowell (74 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 4 pass break-ups). This tandem could be even better in 2018. At the third backer position is junior Tyriq Thompson who added 11 tackles in limited playing time last season. Behind these three are a pair of sophomores in Antjuan Simmons and Brandon Randle and senior Byron Bullough (yes, another Bullough).

The secondary may be even better as the entire starting group is back. On the edge corners Justin Layne and Josiah Scott combined for 70 tackles, 18 PBUs and three interceptions. They were young last year and with more experience can go from all-Big Ten to All-American if they turn some of the pass break-ups into interceptions.

Manning the safety positions are Khari Willis and David Dowell. Both names are littered on preseason all-Big Ten lists. Williams is a senior who finished fourth on the team in tackles with 71 including 5.5 tackles for loss in 2017. He also picked off two passes. Dowell is a junior who played in all 13 games as a sophomore totaling 52 stops. Dowell is the most successful ball-hawk on this defense picking off an impressive five passes in 2017.

The Spartan defensive line will once again be stout and aggressive as three starters return and sophomore Jacub Panasiuk, who according to DC Mike Tressel was the Spring MVP, is injected into the starting lineup.

Juniors Kenny Willekes (DE), Mike Panasiuk (DT) and Raequon Williams (DT) round out the rest of the line. That trio combined for 129 tackles, 23 TFLs and 9.5 sacks and will be a load for any offensive line to stop. Behind the starters are senior Dillion Alexander (four tackles), sophomore Naquon Jones (13 tackles), senior Gerald Owens (11 tackles) and junior Justice Alexander (two tackles).

Special Teams Preview

The Spartans return both their kicker, Matt Coghlin, and punter, Jake Hartbarger, in 2018. Coghlin was solid as a freshman hitting 15-of-18 of his field goal attempts and all 38 extra points, his range was limited last season however as his long was just 46 yards. Michigan State will also need a kickoff specialist as Brett Scanion graduated from those duties.

Hartbarger is as solid as they come, averaging 42 yards per boot. What is more impressive is his hang time and ability to give the coverage unit a chance to make a play. MSU opponents only netted 31 return yards a year ago.

The kick and punt return jobs are wide open. Back-up running back Connor Hayward should get a shot on kickoffs and Darrell Stewart could give the Spartans another option. However, incoming freshman defensive back Kalon Garvin possesses 4.4 speed and could see some changes. With the new rule allowing freshmen to play in four games before losing their eligibility taking hold in 2018, you could see a revolving door in both the kick and punt return units.

The Huddle

In Week Four the Hoosiers Will Host a Tough, Experienced Michigan State Squad in Spittoon Battle